Twain & Imperialism revisited

There is at least one cogent piece of evidence of Twain’s budding anti-imperialist attitudes, as uneven as they may have been in their evolution.  “The Treaty With China: Its Provisions Explained,” a 7,000-word advocacy piece in the August 4, 1868 issue of the New York Tribune, contains some biting commentary regarding the predations of western powers on China, as well as Twain’s observations of the anti-Chinese racism he witnessed first-hand in California and the Nevada Territory and some not-so-subtle criticisms of the role of missionaries as the advance guard of the imperialist powers.  You can argue that Twain wrote the piece at the behest of his friend, mentor and diplomat, Anson Burlingame, but it is signed “Mark Twain,” replete with remarks exhibiting his sardonic humor, and clearly reflects his later published attitudes regarding anti-imperialism and racism.  His later assertion, “I am a Boxer,” in sympathy with the Chinese insurgents attempting to re-assert dominion over their country during the ill-fated Boxer Rebellion of 1900, can be read as entirely consistent with his 1868 writing- a year prior to the publication of The Innocents Abroad.

I never had the privilege of meeting Jim Zwick or discussing the matter with him, but, soon after “re-discovering” “The Treaty With China” I exchanged e-mails with him about the piece.  He was as surprised as I was at the scope and force of Twain’s writing on imperialism and racism at this early point in his career, clearly contradicting any notion of Twain as a “mere humorist.”  Gentleman as he was, Jim agreed to keep our communication under his hat, so to speak, until I could get it out, which I did, eventually, with the help of my unofficial mentor (in case she’d prefer some deniability), Shelley Fisher Fishkin.   Sadly, while I can’t speak for Jim, I suspect that he would agree with me stating that a reading of “The Treaty With China” will disabuse any reader of the notion that Twain’s later-life statements regarding imperialism, racism and religion are wholly a product of his later-life experience.

Martin Zehr

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Hal Bush
Sent: Monday, October 8, 2018 8:25 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Indians, Indians and Imperialism

Regarding MT & his so-called " life-long dislike of
imperialism":  not so much. His eyes were opened pretty late on that issue,=
 I think.


Twain changed his tune pretty significantly about the Phillippines, for ins=
tance, during the debacle there in the 1890s.  I am among those who have wr=
itten about Twain's view of imperialism and his radical change of view, but=
 post-Jim Zwick, I would especially mention Sue Harris's excellent book on =
the topic.  The Anti-Imperialist League wasn't even founded until 1898.


-hb






Dr. Hal Bush

Dept. of English

Saint Louis University

[log in to unmask]

314-977-3616

http://halbush.com

author website:  halbush.com

________________________________
From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Scott Holmes <scott@=
BSCOTTHOLMES.COM>
Sent: Sunday, October 7, 2018 5:33:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Indians, Indians and Imperialism

While working on my Twain's Geography site, currently his tour of
India, I frequently reference Ian Strathcarron's book, "The Indian
Equator". =C2 There is a footnote that reminded me of the recent thread on
Twain and Native Americans but also of Twain's feelings about
Imperialism:

"Many Mark Twain enthusiasts have commented on his life-long dislike of
imperialism and the resultant puffed-up vanity of colonialism. The one
exception to this rule was the jewel in the crown of imperialism, the
British Raj reign of India. Not only did he forgive the British for
their incursion but on numerous occasions pointed out how beneficial it
was to the natives; how lucky they were to have the British to rule
over them."

This is footnoted, thus:

"He felt something similar about the British treatment of Indians
closer to home. In Johannesburg, South Africa, he said: 'Look at the
difference between the position of the Canadian Indians and the Indians
with whom the United States government has to deal. In Canada the
Indians are peaceful and contented enough. In the United States there
are continual rows with the government, which invariably ends in the
red man being shot down.'=E2=80=9D

Here are two instances that stand in contrast to our general
understanding of Twain - he appears to approve of
imperialism/colonialism; and, he appears sympathetic to Native
Americans.



--
 There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of
                          in your philosophy.
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